A federal judge says it appears the political fight over the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname is over and has thrown out a lawsuit by six American Indian students at UND.

The suit was filed last year after the state Legislature passed a law requiring the school to keep the nickname. The law was later repealed, but retirement of the logo was put on hold when a group of nickname supporters put the issue to a statewide vote.

U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson says the overwhelming vote against the nickname and the state Board of Higher Education's clear intent to retire the moniker renders many points in the lawsuit meaningless.

Erickson says the lawsuit does not prove direct discrimination by the state or "deliberate indifference" to rights violations.